Markets
Start an online business in the United Arab Emirates
The steps the government of the United Arab Emirates sets for a new business that sells online, each linked to the official page that runs it, then the steps to open your store. Read from the official sources on October 14, 2026.
Set up your business in the United Arab Emirates
The steps in the order most new sellers take them. Each is read from the official page linked under it.
1. Choose a legal form
The Ministry of Economy lists the sole establishment and the limited liability company (LLC) among the legal forms of businesses in the UAE.
2. Register the business
Mainland businesses apply for a trade licence through the Department of Economic Development (Dubai: Department of Economy and Tourism) of the relevant emirate, as set out on the official UAE government portal.
3. Get your tax number
VAT registration gives a Tax Registration Number (TRN) issued by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).
4. Check when you must register for VAT
The FTA states the mandatory registration threshold is AED 375,000 and the voluntary threshold is AED 187,500.
5. Follow the rules for selling online
The UAE government portal says eCommerce is regulated by Federal Decree Law No. 14 of 2023 on Modern Technology-Based Trade and that sellers must provide accurate product information and a clear digital invoice.
Open your store in the United Arab Emirates
What Tanqory sets up for a store based in the United Arab Emirates. You change any of it in Settings.
- Tax
Your store starts with a VAT entry for the United Arab Emirates, pre-filled at 5%, with collecting off until you switch it on.
VAT in the United Arab Emirates- Card payments
Through your own Stripe account, which Stripe opens for businesses in the United Arab Emirates. Tanqory adds no transaction fee; Stripe charges its own rate.
- Shipping labels
DHL Express and Easyship, bought in your admin, with the customs declaration sent with each label for parcels that cross a border.
What stays with you
- Registering the business and choosing its legal form. Tanqory does not register a business for you.
- Registering for VAT, filing returns and paying the tax authority.
- Licences or permits your products need in the United Arab Emirates.
- Legal or tax advice. This page points to the official sources; an adviser in the United Arab Emirates can apply them to your business.
Questions about starting a business in the United Arab Emirates
Which legal form should I choose in the United Arab Emirates?
The official page in step 1 lists the forms a business in the United Arab Emirates can take. Your choice decides how you register, how you are taxed and whether your own money is kept apart from the business, so an adviser in the United Arab Emirates is worth asking before you decide.
What does Tanqory set up for a store in the United Arab Emirates?
A tax entry for the United Arab Emirates with collecting off, card payments through your own Stripe account, and DHL Express and Easyship labels you buy in your admin. You change any of it in Settings.
Does Tanqory file my VAT return?
No. Your store works out and charges VAT at checkout and keeps a record of every order. You register, file and pay the tax authority yourself, or through your accountant.
What do I have to tell buyers when I sell online in the United Arab Emirates?
The official page in step 5 lists the information and rights a buyer in the United Arab Emirates must get before and after they order. Put that information on your store before your first sale.
How current are these steps?
Each was read from its official page on October 14, 2026. Rules change; the official page is the authority, so open it before you act.
How we checked
Each step on this page was read from its official page on October 14, 2026. The store facts come from Tanqory's tax settings, payments and shipping setup.
- Tanqory's tax settings, payments and shipping setup
- u.ae
- www.moet.gov.ae
- tax.gov.ae
- tax.gov.ae
- u.ae
Start a business in another market of the same region
Open your store in the United Arab Emirates today
Build your store while you set up your business, and switch on tax collecting when your registration is in place.